Blank (Seireitou)
The Blanks (欠魂 (ブランク), Buranku; literally "Wan/Lacking Soul") are unusual Soul anomalies that have succumbed to , much like the , though they have lost their minds rather than their hearts and have transformed into momentary existences of coalesced energy. In most cases, they are known to exist almost exclusively within multiple outlier dimensions aptly known as the Valley of Screams. Overview During the soul's movement through the cycle of transmigration, in which they must pass through the Dangai Precipice World, souls end up becoming lost; it is only to be expected, for many souls begin their travel to without having the assistance of a to guide them personally through . The chaos within them becomes magnified because of their fear of the darkness that is the Dangai and the desperate desire of finding their destination, to such a point that the chaos becomes too great and causes a division between their spiritual essence and their mind; in other words, energy and memories. While Hollows are souls that have lost their hearts to chaos due to regret and despair, which is the reason for why they were given such a name, Blanks are those that lose their minds to the chaos fueled by fear of the darkness and loneliness; hence the reason for their name. While their memories move elsewhere, eventually joining together to form a separate entity known as the , Blanks are the spiritual essence of the soul that is kept together by a blinded will that seeks to restore balance by returning to its memories. Of course, as it is a lost soul, all it can do is wander aimlessly; hoping to somehow find their lost selves. In the process of doing so, other Blanks eventually are drawn together in their aimless search and become massive hordes that eventually spawn an entire dimension due to the enormous spiritual energy gathered in one place within the Dangai; known as the Valley of Screams. Appearance The Blanks appear to be large, white ghosts with pink pin-shaped heads. Their appearance changes only when they are attacking, changing their head's color red, and revealing red arms and hands. They can also change back to their former appearance as a Plus while in the presence of the Shinenju. Blanks, due to no longer possessing the mind that provides them with orientation, are not in possession of a . Connection with Sōzōshin Even prior to the founding of Soul Society, it had become apparent to those among the Sōzōshin that they bore some special connection with the Blanks. This was theorized and later confirmed to be because they are spiritual beings that have lost their minds and therefore are no longer themselves, which is arguably different than Hollows, making them mere chaotic existences of spiritual power. The Sōzōshin are those that were born with the power to order chaos around them and therefore, the Blanks themselves can be "ordered" by Sōzōshin, allowing them to actually manipulate and harness the Blanks for various tasks. They could literally obtain the power of a Blank and attain unique transformations which granted them mystical abilities as well as augmented physical capabilities, although it was a very rare phenomena only few Sōzōshin could obtain. In addition to this, there have been only two known accounts of Sōzōshin whom were capable of manifesting this ability into a physical form, being Kurama Kawahiru and Madara Kawahiru respectively, both of which formed white gunbai. However, in Kurama's case, it was given to Sōkudo, while Kamui is still in possession of his own. Being a once prominent family of Souls that had descended from the , making them Sōzōshin descendants, the Ryōdoji Clan were also known to possess similar abilities, albeit to a lesser degree, as they could only manipulate Blanks so as to repair missing limbs and to shapeshift them into weapons and objects. Corruption General Traits While not very strong by themselves, the Blanks gain many powers when gathered together, such as: *'Cumulative Strength:' While in large numbers, the Blanks can be used to keep an enemy down, increasing their strength with each individual Blank. A group of Blanks were strong enough to keep a unit of the Onmitsukidō held down. *'Self-Destructive Explosion:' Blanks can grab onto an enemy and hold them still while they explode, killing both their opponent and themselves. With about a dozen Blanks, the explosion can be very large. Blanks used this ability to kill a unit of the Onmitsukidō. Sōzōshin Use Those of Sōzōshin essence, including that of the Ryōdoji descendants, can harness Blanks for their own particular use. Such examples of this would include: *'Shapeshifting:' When utilized by such a being, Blanks can be transformed into swords, projectiles, objects or any form of weapon the person can imagine. The form a Blank takes depends only on the one who wields it. *'Regeneration:' Blanks can replace missing limbs almost instantaneously. Behind the Scenes